Manners and Customs of Bible La
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dried up. Isaiah spoke of "a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Isa. 58:11 The Psalmist (Psa. 107:4-7) told of a caravan of travelers that lost their way in the desert, running out of food and water. After prayer, the Lord guided them to "a city of habitation." Methods Of Travel.
Traveling is sometimes done on foot, but more often on the backs of horses, mules, or donkeys, and when traveling in the desert, camels are mostly used. In order to avoid the intense heat, and to escape detection by robber tribes, traveling is often done by night. The guide will get his direction from the stars. Summer is the usual time for traveling in order to avoid the many inconveniences connected with the winter months. Food Taken By Travelers.
Travelers going a distance will carry food with them, which will include bread, parched grain, dried olives, dried figs, and dates. Most travelers in the East now, as in the days of Jesus, will not go any distance from home without taking barley bread or meal or parched grain sufficient to last for one or two days. When Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the four thousand, he said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way" (Matt. 15:32). According to custom, the multitude would have a day or two's supply of food with them when they flocked to hear Jesus. But on the third day, seven loaves and a few small fish was all that was left How Distances Are Often Measured In The Orient.
In traveling in Bible lands, it is often customary to measure distances in units of time rather than in terms of space. One village is said to be three hours distant from another village, because it takes that long to travel from one to the other. In Old Testament days distance in traveling was similarly noted. It was "three days' http://207.44.232.113/~bible/reference/m&c/m_c209.html (1 of 2) [27/06/2004 11:22:00 p.m.]